Trolley-harp



. 0. E. VANASDALE.

TROLLEY HARP'.

APPLmATloN FILED FEB. l, 1919.

1,881,540. Peeented Feb. 24,1920.

-. le; *Hill -1 IHN?? f Vl??lliillnll l Y a7 l f ee '.5.. e WlTzEssEs .0 aEmdYg/[NVENTOR ATTORN EY VANASDALE, 0F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROLLEY-HARP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb, 24., 1920.

Application led February 1, v1919. Serial No. 274,547.-

To `all/whom it may concern.'

`Be it known that I, OLIVER E. VANASDALE, av citizen of the United States, residing at York, in `the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful 'lrolley-Harp, of which the following is a s eeification.

- his invention relates to trolley wheels, and more particularly to the trolley-harp, in

which the trolley Vwheel proper is mounted for rotary movement. v

The object is to provide a trolley-harp in which the wheel is securely held in position by simple vmeans, requiring but a single operation to secure the same in locked position and prevent its accidental displacement.

,Another object is to provide locking means for the coacting parts of a trolley-harp, which will effectually prevent any'longitudinal or other movement of the axle which, as is customary, must be clamped securely'to prevent any movement whatsoever, the wheel proper revolving around said axle in its travel along the line wire.

, A full and complete understanding of the invention maybe obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description taken 'in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; vit being understoodl that while the drawing shows .a practical form of theinvention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified,so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure Vfrom thewsalient :features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawing, in which like-reference v z'haracters' designate corresponding parts throughout the several figuresz Figure l .is Aa `Side elevation of a trolleyharp having'the improvements incorporated therein; v

Fig2 is a plan view thereof;

'Fig'. '3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the novel features of the invention infseparated position;

- Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. .5 is a` Vdetail side View of the adjustable locking member; l Y

Fig. .6 Sa bottom plan view thereof; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the lline 7 7 .of Fig. The frequent slipping of trolley wheels from their proper Contact with the line wires of electric railroads is not only a source of great annoyance to passengers by causing frequent delays, butV in Ythe aggregate amounts'to a considerable expense to the operating companies, by reason of the fact that 1n the majority of cases the trolleyis damaged to a greater or less degree by com-ing forcibly into contact with the cross arms supporting the trolley wire, and being so bent or distorted as to necessitate their repair or the replacement of parts in order to take up lost motion or slack and to prevent rattling. This disadvantage is generally present in the use of trolley-harpe of ordinary construction.

vThe Vpresent invention comprises a trolleyharp having coacting clamping members 1 and `2, respectively, adapted to hold securely against rotation an axle 3, on which is mounted a trolley-wheel 4. YThe clamping members land 2 are each substantially U- shaped, and are hinged together at their outer terminals, as at 5, to permit a relative swinging movement. Adjacent to the hingepintles, the clamping members are each provided with coacting bearings 6 formed of substantially semi-circular seats in the abutting faces of the members 1 and l2, and each having an inwardly directed annular flange 7 adapted to overhang the ends of the axle 3 and prevent any longitudinal movement of the same within the bearings 6. rlhe usual guards 8 are formed on the member 2, whichl constitutes the upper member, and act to prevent the trolley-wire from becoming lodged between the wheel 4 and the trolleyharp in the event of the accidental slipping of the wheel from the trolley wire. 4

Thelower clamping member 1 is provided with a tubular extension .9 adapted to receive the end of the trolley pole l() a-nd to be secured thereto by a rivet l1 or in any other desirable manner. Thetubular extension is also provided with a reduced porti-on upon its under side having a perforation 12, the latter .constituting an eye for the reception of a cord o r rope 13, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing,and used for the purpose of pulling down ,the trolley when desired, in the ordinaryV manner.

The upper surfaces of the arms constituting the lower clamping member 1 are in alinement with the axis of the hinge-pintle at the outer ends thereof, and also with the longitudinal axis of the-*tubular exten-4 sion 9, and thus provide an upstanding wall or shoulder 14 of arcuate formation, as shown in Fig. 2, andv adapted to receive the connecting portion of the upper clamping member which is arcuately formed to snugly t therein, and which assumes substantially the same relation' to the tubular extension as does its integrally connected lower clamping member v1.k

The upper surface of the tubular extension 9, adjacent to its point of contact with the connecting portion Vof the clamping memberr2, is-provided with the major portionof a circular socket 15, the remaining portion 16 of said socket being formed in the adjacent clamping member 2, the pro- `jecting bottom wall 17, thus provided, hav- .ing a rib 18 formed thereon extending radially to the axis of the socket and longitudinally of the tubularfextension 9. rlhe upstanding-,wall or shoulder 111 and the Alower edge of the upper clamping member 2-are correspondingly rounded as indicated at 19 and 20, respectively, and at the center of the socket, there is provided a threaded bore c 21 extending entirely through vthe lowerclamping member 1 and communicating withv a recess 22 formedon the under side thereof. L A locking member 23, in the form of a circular 7turn-.button of a diameter nearly equal to the diameter of the socket 15 .is adapted to vlit vwithin said socket and to lie substantially Vflush with the upper surface ofthe upper clamping member 2, the said turn-button or locking member 23 having #an arcuate-,cutaway portion 24 formed at one side thereof and cut on a like radius to the rear edgev of the connecting portion of `theupper clamping member 2, as will be seen in Fig. 2.' I The locking member 23 is provided with acentrally located perforation 25 registering with the threaded bore 21 of the lower v member, and a suitable screw 26 is adaptedL topass therethrough and into the said bore,

to swivel Vthe button or locking member within the socket, the screw .extending slightly into the recess 22k and being upset as at 27, indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in order to prevent its accidental dislodgment. The underside of the turn-button or locking member 23 is formed with a cam surface (seeFig. 5) and is provided with a series of radially-,disposed teeth 28 extendingY from the "thickest to .the thinnest portionv of said member. The thin portion of the locking member, caused by the saidcam formation on the underside thereof, ,is adapted, when the'same is turned, to overlie the said projecting bottom wall 17 and lof the locking-member which, when Vthus engaged, will elfectually hold the two clampn ing members together land bind the axle tightly therebetween. p p

'When the trolley wheel accidentally slips from the line wire, it often happens that the harp strikes a cross supporting-arm at a point-adjacent to the periphery of the said wheel,fwhich results in bending the-upper clampingmember and thus destroying the clamping action of the two members upon the axle 3, as any bending or other-i movement of the upper member toward. the lower would release the pressure of the bottom wall 17 lbeneath the overhanging thinner portion ofthe locking member, as will be readily understood, and this would result freeing the said axle in its bearings and Vermitting the same to rotate and to rattle. Vhen this happens it is only necessary to introduce Ya suitable Spanner into perforations 29 formed in the upper surface of the locking member and toturn the same in a direction to bring a thicker portion of the cam-like locking-member over the lip of the clamping member 2, whenthe rib 18 will seat inv another tooth 28 and the free end of the member 2 will be forced closer to its coacting member 1 and the axle will again `A be securely clamped against any movement. f Y A.

Should such damage tothe upper 'clamping member 2 fbenot immediately Ydetected and the trolley wheel be replaced on the wire and allowed to run, the play or'slack caused by the bending of the member 2 might allow the rotary locking member to turn upon its axis'V and permit the. upper clamping member tol open entirely thus freeing the trolley wheel altogether, but means have been providedrfor preventing the accidental turning of the locking member under such circumstances, and yet permitting its rotation by means of a wrench or spanner. Said means consistsV of a pin 30 mounted in a socket 31 formed in the bottom wall of the socket 1,5 and pointed on its upper end to enter between the teeth 28, a spring 32 Y outer ends and bifurcat'e'd'to span a trolley wheel, said members being normally spaced apart at their free ends, an extension formed on thefree end of one of the members for attachment to atrolley pole, and Va locking member carried by said extension and mounted to rotate on an axle at right angles to the Vaxis of the said extension, said locking member being adapted when properly turned to override the free end of the other clamping member and bind the two members together to clamp the trolley axle against rotation.

2. In a trolley harp having hinged axleclamping members, a lock-ing means therefor comprising a swiveled locking device carried by one of the clamping members and mounted for rotation about an axis' at right angles to the longitudinal center line of said clamping members, the said locking device being provided on its underside with a cam surface having a series of teeth formed thereon, an extension or lip carried by the adjacent portion of the other clamping member and adapted to underride the locking device and be held in clamping relation to the other member, said lip having a rib for engagement by the teeth.

A clamping harp for trolley wheels having the adjacent portions of the clamping'members provided with registering portions of a. socket, the socket portion formed in one clamping member being of greater eX- tent than that of the other, and having a central bore formed in the bottom wall thereof, a rib formed in the bottom wall of the portion of the socket provided on one clamping member and arranged radially of the central bore, and a rotary locking member mounted in the socket and having a central bore registering with the first-named bore, and a pivot pin or screw traversing the bores, said locking device having radially disposed teeth and a peripheral cutaway portion.

4f. A trolley harp comprising a pair of axle clamping members hinged at their outer ends and bifurcated to span a trolley wheel. said members having in rear of their outer ends alined seats for the reception of the axle of a trolley wheel, and being normally spaced apart toward their free ends, a socket formed partially in one member and partially in the free end of the other member', a turn-button mounted yin said socket and adapted to be turned to lock the free end of said other member, said turn-button having a cam surface coperating with means provided in the socket and tending to force said members in clamping engagement with the axle.

5. A trolley kharp comprising a pair of axle clamping members hinged at their outer ends and bifurcatedv to span a trolley wheel, said members having in rear of their outer ends alined seats for the reception of the axle of a trolley wheel, and being normally spaced apart toward their free ends, a socket formed partially in one member and partially in the free end of the other member, a turn-button mounted in said socket and adapted to be turned to lock the free end of said other member, said turn-button having a cam surface coperating with means provided in the socket and tending to force said members in clamping engagement with the axle, and a spring-actuated locking pin seated in the socket and adapted to lock the button in its adjusted position.

6. A trolley harp comprising a pair of axle clamping members hinged at their outer ends and bifurcated to span a trolley wheel, one of said members having an extension at the end remote from the hinged end forthe attachment of a trolley pole, and said extension having a socket formed therein, said socket having theform of a major arc of a circle, and the other member having a socket provided at its free end which registers with and completes the circle of the first-mentioned socket, said members being normally spaced apart toward their free ends, and a turn-button mounted in the first-mentioned socket and adapted to be turned to engage the other socket, said turn-button having its periphery cut away to correspond with the division between the two sockets.

7. A trolley harp comprising a pair of axle clamping members hinged at their outer ends and bifurcated to span a trolley Wheel, said members having in rear of their outer ends alined seats for the reception of the axle of a trolley Wheel, and being normally spaced apart toward their free ends, a socket formed partially in one member and partially in the free end of the other member, a turn-button mounted in said socket and adapted to be turned to lock the free end of said other member, said turn-button having a cam surface on its inner face and a series of radially disposed teeth, and a rib provided on the free end of said other member, and sald rib being engaged by the turn-button when the latter is turned to lock the members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER E. VANASDALE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD J. LoUoKs, EDW. C. RINDLAUB. 

